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Thursday, April 25, 2019

Crime News Update

Editor's note: The crime news reported by the Southwest Chicago Post---taken directly from Chicago Police Department incident reports---is not by any means an exhaustive catalogue of all crime reported in the Chicago Lawn (8th) District. For example, it typically does not include news of crimes committed in the eastern sectors of the district---because the Southwest Chicago Post's coverage area is primarily the neighborhoods that border Midway Airport and secondarily because including the relatively large volume of crime news from elsewhere in the district would be a logistical challenge. We make this note to offer a little helpful perspective and remind everyone that while crime is definitely a concern in all parts of the district (as it always has been), crime remains relatively low overall in the western section of the district. May all of us work together diligently to keep it that way. May all of us also remember that a person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Slain execution-style on 61st StreetA 25-year-old man from suburban Dolton died after he was shot multiple times at about 10:10 p.m. Monday, April 15 as he sat in the driver’s seat of a vehicle in the 3400 block of West 61st Street. Eugene Cooley, of the 700 block of East Sibley Boulevard, was shot in the throat, face, back and arms, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said they had no witnesses to the crime. No one is in custody.

Reputed gang member shot on 53rd StreetA 30-year-old man said by a law enforcement source to be a gang member was shot in the back and left leg as he sat in a vehicle in the 4400 block of West 53rd Street at 9:45 p.m. Friday, April 19. The shooter fired from a sedan, police said. The victim took himself to Stroger Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. No one is in custody.

A 26-year-old West Elsdon man was charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse after he was arrested at his home in the 3800 block of West 58th Place at 12:24 a.m. Tuesday, April 16.Ivan Villegas was apprehended without incident. The arrest came eight days after he allegedly grabbed a 16-year-old girl from behind, put his hand down her shirt and touched her inappropriately, police said.The incident allegedly occurred in the 2400 block of West 36th Street at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 8. Police did not indicate what led them to believe that Villegas committed the crime or why the arrest came eight days later.According to public records, Villegas was arrested in February of this year on the West Side and charged with solicitation of a sexual act.

Masked bandit robs Boost MobileA masked bandit robbed the Boost Mobile store at 5101 S. Cicero at 11:10 a.m. Thursday, April 18, making off with a bag full of cellphones and a gold chain belonging to a 28-year-old sales clerk. Employees told police that the robber walked in the store, pulled a pistol and said, “You know what time it is.” He then ordered the two employees into a rear stockroom and told them to fill a bag with cellphones. They did, and the bandit also ordered an employee to take off his gold chain and hand it over. The robber then ran into the alley behind the store and may have fled in a bronze Jeep Cherokee. He was described as a black man about 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, with brown eyes and a medium complexion. He wore a black hoody and a black face mask, with dark pants.

A 47-year-old homeless man was charged with one felony count of possession of a controlled substance after he was arrested at 9:45 p.m. Friday, April 19, in the parking lot of the Walgreens at 7136 West Archer.• Lee Turner was apprehended without incident. Police responding to a 911 call about a man slumped over the wheel of a vehicle found Turner asleep in the vehicle. A CPD spokesman said that officers at the scene spotted a clear plastic bag with suspect heroin inside, in plain sight in the vehicle. A search of Turner yielded more heroin, police added.• According to public records, Turner has been arrested three times by CPD since 2017 on such charges as possession of a controlled substance and soliciting unlawful business.Turner is currently held on $25,000 bond and is due in court on May 8.

Arrested for the 16th time in 15 months

Michael Jackson

A 19-year-old Chicago Lawn man was charged with domestic battery and violating an order of protection after he allegedly spat in the face of a 23-year-old woman at 5:56 p.m. Sunday, April 7 at the Aloha Motel, 8515 S. Cicero.Michael Anthony Jackson, of the 6300 block of South Artesian, was apprehended without incident.According to public records, Jackson has been arrested 16 times by CPD since January 2018 on charges that included loitering by a gang member, assault, criminal trespass to a residence, criminal trespass to real property, soliciting unlawful business and cannabis possession.

A convicted felon was charged with an “armed habitual criminal” offense after he was arrested by police at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 9 at his home in the 5300 block of South Kolin.Luis Salgado, 22, was apprehended by police executing a search warrant.They added that they found a gun and cartridges at the home, and that Salgado had been wanted on a warrant relating to a parole violation.According to public records, Salgado was convicted of armed robbery in 2015 and sentenced to six years in prison. He was released on parole in 2017.

Burglar steals $15,000 in eyeglass framesA burglar used a crowbar to smash the front-door glass of the Pearle Vision store at 5153 S. Pulaski, enter and stole about 150 pair of designer eyeglass frames said to be worth a total of $15,000. The crime was discovered by police responding to an alarm at about 3:45 a.m. Thursday, April 18. The store’s owner, a Downers Grove man, shared video surveillance footage with police. There was no description of the burglar.

Lawn mower, compressor taken from garageBurglars broke into a garage in the 4400 block of South Lawler and stole a lawn mower and an air compressor. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 54-year-old woman, at about 5 p.m. Thursday, April 18.

Gone only an hour, returns to find burglaryBurglars kicked in the back door of a home in the 5400 block of South New England and stole assorted jewelry, bank statements, a car title and a collection of silver dollars. The crime was discovered by the victim, a 44-year-old woman, at 6:19 p.m. Thursday, April 18. The victim told police she had been out shopping and had only been gone from her house for about an hour.

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About Us

The Southwest Chicago Post is an independent news service delivering news and opinion to the people of Chicago's Southwest Side.

We promote prosperity, progress and peace in the neighborhoods we serve.

We intend to champion homeowners, locally owned and operated small businesses and professional practices, schools, libraries, parks, houses of worship and more.

We also strongly support efforts to prevent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.

We cheerfully assist and promote members of our business and professional community, particularly those that are independent, locally owned and which hire local residents.

This online news service is owned and operated by lifelong Southwest Siders Joan Hadac (Editor and Publisher) and Tim Hadac (Managing Editor), both of whom have worked as local newspaper reporters and editors for over 25 years each.

Do you have a news tip, big or small? A letter to the editor? Want us to come out and cover your event? Let us know: editor@swchicagopost.com.